Peace Movement
by ZinicInk
Summary: Gotham City has been taken over by an army of men who claim they are only present to preserve the peace. Batman is no where to be found, and there are rumors that he has given up his city to these strangers. Now it's up to the city's criminal masterminds to put their city back the way it was, and hopefully find their greatest foe along the way.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hello everyone! Welcome to my first Batman fanfiction! Here's a couple of facts about this fic. 1) There probably won't be any hard-core shipping or distinct couples. I'm not really planning on that happening, but then again you never know! This _is_ fanfiction, after all! 2) There are limited original characters in this story. I'm planning on only one named original character, and he's for the plot's sake. No OCXCANON, I swear. 3) There will most definitely be fluff moments, and I can promise you unlikely alliances. 4) There will be almost every major (and a few not-so-major!) Batman villains in this fanficiton! It's gonna be fun! _

_That's all I've got! I'll try to keep my ANs limited from this point on! Enjoy the story!_

* * *

Gotham City was completely silent. There was no screaming, no cries for help, no gunshots, no skidding tires, no maniacal laughter, and no ferocious growls. The atmosphere was stifling, as if the city didn't _want_ to be so well-behaved, but it had no choice.

It was making Harley Quinn paranoid.

She shivered a little as she peered out of the doorway of the abandoned apartment she was hiding out in. Her blue eyes turned skyward, and she was disappointed to see the dark clouds overhead barren. No bat-signal or searchlights were dancing along the dismal puffs, broadcasting trouble and excitement.

All was still.

Gotham had been this way for the past few months, ever since that rotten Peace Movement had shown up. They rushed in with their high-tech guns and traps, sweeping all the criminals off of the streets and into Blackgate or Arkham; whichever institution was best suited to their 'needs'.

The Peace Movement, or PM, was bad news. Harley had heard from Edward Nigma, (before he was captured), that their boss had dethroned the Batman, and now ran the city's nightlife. He had eyes and ears all over the city. No place, no _one_, was safe from him. His name was Anthony Christenson, and he was Commissioner Gordan's _new_ 'secret weapon'.

He was terrifying. Anthony reminded Harley of Lyle Bolton, one of the old heads of security at Arkham. Bolton had used blackmail, torture, physical punishment and harassment on the inmates; anything to instill a deep fear of misbehavior into them. He did anything to keep the inmates in line and quiet. It got to the point where no one even tried to escape anymore out of the pure terror at the thought of what Bolton would do to them if their attempts failed.

But _Anthony_ wasn't confined to just Arkham Asylum, and he wasn't just some run-of-the-mill security guard like Bolton. His jurisdiction, with the approval of Commisioner Gordon, was city-wide. So, in a way, he was more like Batman than he was like Bolton, because Anthony could do whatever he wanted in order to get the criminals off the street. The only reason he was more effective than the Bat was his army of personally hired and trained men that would do whatever he told them to. They'd patrol the streets, the prison, and the asylum, all at the same time. His supply of men seemed to be unlimited. Batman only had his handful of bat-brats.

Currently, Harley was one of the fortunate few who had evaded capture by the Peace Movement. As far as she knew, she was the _only_ person to slip through the patrols' fingers.

She was all alone, and she missed her puddin'. He had been one of the first to get picked up. Being sneaky and slipping under the radar just wasn't the Joker's style, as anyone could tell you.

Harley ducked back inside the apartment, deciding that it was time for her to change locations. She quickly gathered up her few belongings and wrapped herself up in an elegant, long black coat. Looking both ways before exiting, she left through the back exit, trying not to be seen by anyone until she could get onto the main street and blend into the crowd.

She had almost made it down to the street when a bright light was suddenly shining in her face. Harley threw a hand up to shield her eyes and peered around her fingers at the source.

"Evening, ma'am."

Uh-oh. One of the patrols.

Harley smiled as genuinely as she could, with a well-practiced hint of innocent confusion. "Good evening indeed, officer." She disguised her distinct accent as best she could. "Is there a problem?"

"Well that depends. Are we going to have any trouble here, Miss Harleen Quinzel? Or are you going to come along quietly?"

Harley's eyes widened. "Saw right through me, huh?" She immediately dropped her bag and raised her fists, ready to fight her way through him and to the street, where she could disappear in the crowds of people. The officer motioned with his hand, and two more men stepped in from around the corner. Harley wavered, and glumly lowered her arms. "You've got me surrounded, huh?"

"Yes ma'am. Now, get on the ground, Miss, and this'll be over shortly." The officer grabbed Harley by the shoulder and roughly pushed her to the ground before she could even move of her own accord. "Put your arms behind your back, please." Harley moved her hands to comply, but her large coat was getting in the way. "Ah, your coat. Here, let me help you take it off, and get you into these cuffs."

"You creep-!" Harley started, but stopped as the man was suddenly lifted off of her.

"You should not harass a woman in this manner, filth." The officer was thrown to the side, hitting his head hard against one of the buildings, and immediately losing consciousness.

"It is _disrespectful_."

Harley quickly jumped to her feet and whirled around to face her rescuer before they were set upon by the surrounding officers. Her eyes widened.

It was Bane.

_Bane?_

One of the most dangerous men in Gotham City, the man who _broke Batman's spine_, was rescuing her? He hadn't been caught already? Harley thought that he would have been number two on the Peace Movement's most-wanted list, behind her puddin', of course.

Harley didn't understand his sudden appearance one bit, but decided not to think about it too much. He was helping her out of a sticky situation, and that was all that mattered at the moment. She grinned widely up at the large man. "Thanks!"

He nodded once, and she jumped back around to face the incoming PM officers. She kicked, punched, bobbed, weaved, jumped, spun, kart-wheeled; she pulled out all the stops, literally fighting for life as she knew it. Harley made it a point to try and always have her back to Bane, and he was doing the same to her.

The two fought well together. She would distract multiple officers with her graceful and swift movements as Bane efficiently took out patrolmen left and right with his devastating blows. Their work was done in a matter of minutes. Harley sent a kick smartly to the side of an officer's head, sending him into unconsciousness with the rest of his troop.

Harley leaned against one of the alley walls and took a few deep breaths, admiring their work. She looked over at Bane after she regained her composure, but was shocked to find he was lumbering down the alley.

_Without_ _her_.

Hastily, Harley grabbed up her belongings and dashed after him. She matched his pace, and then looked up at him, a small pout on her face.

He looked down at her, and raised his eyebrows slightly. The blonde broke into a grin. "You ain't leavin' me alone, buddy."

Bane looked ahead, impassive. "You are incapable of taking care of yourself?"

Harley frowned, offended. "Of course I can! But, you're the first friendly face I've seen around, and we _were_ a pretty good team back there."

The large man looked at her again. "_'Friendly'_?"

"_Friendly_, meaning not PM, Batman, or the police."

"Ah." Bane grabbed Harley by the wrist and tugged her into a small alcove. She opened her mouth to protest, but Bane put a finger to his lips. Suddenly, a bright searchlight lit up the alley from above them and the air was filled with loud whirring.

It was a patrol helicopter.

The two remained motionless as the copter passed overhead, looking for its downed officers and/or the elusive convicts. After a few minutes, when they deemed movement was safe once again, they bolted out of the alcove and down the alley. Harley didn't know where they were going, but Bane seemed to have a destination in mind, so she just followed him as closely as possible.

Within a few short minutes, Bane ducked into a hat shop, and Harley bolted in after him. They didn't turn any lights on, in order to keep the shop inconspicuous, but Harley recognized it almost immediately.

"Isn't this Jervis' shop?" she asked with a small smile on her face.

Bane nodded once as he sat down heavily on the counter. "He was captured. I am sure he does not mind us using it."

Harley walked over to one of the racks of hats and began to idly try them on. Bane watched her for a moment, collecting his thoughts, and then spoke up.

"What do you know?"

Harley smiled at him from under a wide-brimmed hat covered in fruit. "I was going to ask _you_ that!" She removed the hat and began selecting another. "I don't know much. You're honestly the first one of us I've seen since Mistah Jay was locked up."

Bane frowned slightly. "You don't know what's happened at all?"

Harley turned toward him, more serious. "What?"

"That Anthony Christenson's out to get Batman as well?"

Harley's mouth fell open. "Is he an idiot?"

"It would seem so."

Harley shoved a top hat on her head. "Did Batsy get captured?"

Bane shook his head. "Not as far as I can tell." He stood and wandered into the back room. "I have been trying to track the Batman down," he called from the other room. "But no luck yet."

Harley put another top hat over the one she was wearing. "Why would you want to do something like that?" she called.

"He can help us." came the response.

Harley scoffed. "The guy who's been beatin' the crap outta us all these years is gonna help us out? Gimme a break."

Bane returned with two cups of water and handed one to her. "You do not know him as I do." He smiled slightly. "He does not take kindly to those who muscle in on his city."

"I know you speak from experience." Harley took a long gulp from the cup.

"Are you so against the idea of the Batman aiding us that you will not help me track him? If so, you will be a liability, and we should just part ways now."

Harley laughed. "At this point, I think anything is a better plan than what I was doing."

Bane raised an eyebrow. "Sitting around waiting to get caught?"

Harley nodded. "Sitting around waiting to get caught." She polished off her water and slammed the cup down on the counter triumphantly. "Alright, Bane, me ol' chum! Where do you propose we start?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: I forgot to mention in the last A/N that this fic is based off of not only a couple of graphic novels (Knightfall, Salvation Run, No Man's Land, ect.) but also Batman: the Animated Series. Hence the mention of Lyle Bolton in the last chapter. Don't remember him? Watch the episode Lock-Up. _

_Anyway, back to the show!  
_

Harley looked down at the address in her hand. _Room 216 on the 2__nd__ Floor, 32__nd__ Street and Center_. She glanced back up at the number of the apartment she was standing in front of. Yup, they definitely matched.

She turned around and looked at Bane, who was leaning against the railing. She smiled a little, because it was still odd for her to see him without his mask on. He was dressed in a plain grey collared shirt and blue-jeans. Simple, yes, but it was a very effective disguise, since no one really knew what he looked like under the mask. He fit right in with the crowds of regular Gothamites.

Harley looked quite normal too. She was wearing a red sundress and sandals, with her hair tied back in a ponytail and a very thin layer of make-up on her face. The only problem was that the PM, along with everyone else in Gotham City, already knew her face. She wore large sunglasses and kept her eyes firmly on the ground in front of her in order to reveal as little of her famous face as possible.

Bane nodded his head to urge Harley to knock on the apartment's door, but she still didn't do it, folding her arms defiantly and pouting like a child instead. Harley would have felt more comfortable about the whole situation if it was night, but Bane had insisted that _daylight_ would disguise their visit more effectively.

After staring each other down for a few seconds, Bane rolled his eyes and pushed off the railing. He stood square in front of the door and knocked loudly. He then stepped to the left of the door and motioned for the blonde to take over. She gave him a murderous look, but took her place in the doorway anyway.

After a few minutes, the door opened up a crack and the face of a young man was addressing them. He had hard features, with cold blue eyes and long black hair. He frowned down at Harley, who was the only one he could see through the crack of the door.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

Harley smiled and waved politely. "Hiya! We were just wondering if you could spare us a few minutes of your time, Mistah Grayson."

The man frowned a little deeper at her voice. He studied her for a moment. It was obvious to Harley that he recognized her.

"Is this a survey?" he cautiously asked.

Bane leaned into view from the side of the door and gave him a hard look. "You know what this is, Dick. Open the door or I will break it down."

Richard Grayson's eyes widened slightly at the newcomer, and he hesitated, thinking over what to do. He definitely didn't want these maniacs in his home, and he definitely didn't trust them.

Harley interrupted his thoughts. "Listen, if ya don't wanna talk, fine. We'll just report you to Mistah Christenson, _Nightwing_."

That did it.

Dick opened the door and let the two criminals enter his apartment.

None of them sat, and they all stood in his living room. Dick broke the silence.

"How did you know my secret?" he asked Harley.

Harley pointed to Bane accusingly.

Dick sighed. "Of course." He folded his arms defensively over his chest and glared at his 'guests'. "So what do you two maniacs want?"

"We want to know where Batman is." Bane stated.

Dick shrugged. "No idea. He basically disappeared after he was 'replaced'."

Harley pouted. "Aw, man. You really have no idea?"

"Not a clue. Me and the others have been keeping our heads low until we hear from him."

Bane frowned, not believing that Bruce hadn't told those he was closest to where he had vanished to. "You have checked his home?"

Dick cocked an eyebrow. "You're telling me you haven't checked for yourself?"

Bane hesitated. "I did not want to reveal his secret to Ms Quinn."

Harley's head snapped toward Bane. "You know who Batsy really is?! And you've been keeping it to yerself?! How selfish can ya get?!" she whined.

Dick smiled slightly. "Still have that respect for him, huh? Well I'll tell you this much; he wasn't there when I checked, but a ton of security was."

"Security? You mean PM Officers." Dick nodded. "What about his old friend?"

"All he would tell me is that the Bat has got important business elsewhere in the world and won't be back for some time."

Bane furrowed his brow. "How strange. He couldn't have _actually_ left. He would never do that." No one said anything. "He must be planning something."

Dick laughed. "Anyone could tell you that."

Bane abruptly turned and opened the door. "I will find him, Dick Grayson. Thank you for your time."

Dick frowned a little. "Yeah, well, us 'Wanted' types have got to stick together, I guess."

Harley bounced after Bane, but stopped in the doorway and flashed Dick a smile. "Don't worry, Nightwing. I won't tell anyone who ya really are." She put a finger to her lips. "Bane made me swear I wouldn't or he'd break my arms like he did Killer Croc."

Dick laughed a little. "Well, I guess my secret's safe with you."

As the pair headed down the stairs to the street below, Dick Grayson watched from the doorway. He felt odd, and wondered what had really just taken place. Under any other circumstances he would have defended his secret more fiercely. He would have fought with them, defeat them, bring them to justice. But he hadn't even made an _attempt_ to apprehend the two rogues.

He blamed it on the current situation. It was making him a little more… not _trusting_, no. But tolerant of his 'fellow criminals', yes.

He was not allies with them. Not with that lot. He wasn't _that_ desperate.

Not yet, anyway.

Bane sat down heavily on a bench in Gotham Public Park and let out a sigh. Harley copied him, and then leaned her head back, looking up at the blue sky lined with tall, lush trees above them.

"So what now, genius?"

Bane rubbed the bridge of his nose like he had a headache. "I need to think of what Batman could possibly be planning. If I can figure it out, then we can meet up with him. Maybe collaborate."

Harley glanced at him. "You're gonna think like the Bat?"

Bane hesitated, and then nodded slowly. "And I think I've figured out part of his plan."

The blonde sat up. "That was fast. How well do you know Batman, anyway?"

The large man ignored her question as he stood up and began to walk on one of the park's many winding paths. He started to explain as Harley caught up to him. "If I were in the Batman's powerless position, I would be locating those criminals that had not yet been caught by the PM."

Harley cocked an eyebrow. She hadn't been expecting that one. "And why would he do that? So they can kill him?"

Bane spread his arms. "To assist them in keeping away from the PM."

Harley frowned. "Isn't that against everything Batsy stands for? Wouldn't it be more like him to take them to prison?"

Bane shook his head. "You're not seeing, Harleen. If he could somehow gather enough strength against the Peace Movement, then he could undermine their dependability, and eventually chase them out of Gotham City."

The two walked along silently for a few moments, thinking. Harley pursed her lips. "If he was going to get enough muscle to kick the PM out, he'd need to have all his Bat-brats and extended Bat-family, plus a few helpers from the JLA."

Bane glanced down at Harley, and then looked straight ahead. "Or, he could have the strength of his greatest foes."

Harley scratched her chin thoughtfully. "What, you mean like, everyone from Blackgate and Arkham working on the same side as Bats and his brats to get the city back?"

Bane nodded.

Harley laughed. "Okay, I admit it would work pretty well; if you could _trust_ anyone from the institutions. But they're all backstabbing murderers. Not to mention most would much rather rip Batman's head off his shoulders before helping him out."

"You're correct. A leader would be needed to unite the maniacs and the criminals behind Batman." Bane looked at Harley. "Who do you think that would be?"

Harley thought for a moment. "Well, the obvious choice would be my puddin', right? Of course it would! He's perfect for the job! A real people-person!"

The blonde looked at Bane's patient face for a moment, and then she gasped as everything he was hinting at clicked into place. "So you think Bats is gonna use us criminals on the outside to get everyone else out of jail?!"

Bane nodded. "Now you're understanding, Harleen. It is a very large possibility that this is his plan." He thought for a moment. "We need to get in touch with others that are sympathetic to our position." He extended a hand to her and gave a slight smile. "Shall we go and pay Jonathan a visit?"

Harley's eyes lit up. "He didn't get captured?! 'Atta boy, Johnny!" Giggling, she dramatically took Bane's hand. "Lead the way, sir!"

The unlikely pair made their way out of the park and strolled down the sidewalk, arm in arm. They didn't say much, and kept their heads down as much as possible to remain inconspicuous. No one even gave them a second glance. That is, until they passed a troop of PM Officers. They gave Bane and Harley some second glances. Harley tried to speed up their pace, but that would only make them more suspicious. Bane held her fast and kept their pace leisurely and calm.

When they were out of earshot, Harley hissed, "That was way too close for my comfort, Bane."

"Yes, but do not worry. We're almost to his hideout."

They continued walking, turning down various streets and alleyways. Then, Bane abruptly stopped walking, grabbed Harley by the shoulders, and whirled her toward a sports wear shop that they were in front of.

"Get inside," he ordered.

Harley half-turned to scold him for jostling her about, but caught a glimpse of approaching PM Officers. Not wanting another close call, she quickly slid inside the dark shop. She expected Bane to immediately follow her, but the door shut behind her with the tinkle of a small bell. Surprised at being alone in the dark shop, she turned around and saw Bane standing outside the shop, leaning against one of the display windows, pretending to be interested in the football jerseys that were in the window. He nodded at the PM Officers, and they returned the motion, not giving him a second glance.

Harley sighed with relief when they disappeared down the street. She was about to walk back out to rejoin Bane, when a stern voice stopped her.

"Can I _help_ you, ma'am?"

Harley slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder. As soon as she saw the unruly red hair and the sharp nose, she relaxed and laughed a little. It turns out this was the place they had been heading to all along!

"Aw, man, Johnny, don't you sneak up on me like that!"

Jonathan Crane raised an eyebrow, unamused. "What are you doing here, Harley?"

She smiled, almost flirtatiously. "Aw, come on, Johnny! You ain't happy to see me?"

Jonathan frowned as he turned away from Harley and made his way back behind his counter. "No, I am not in the least pleased to see you. You're presence always has a way of attracting the wrong crowd, my dear."

"What do you mean by 'wrong crowd', Professor?"

Jonathan looked up as Bane entered the shop. "Bane," he stated. "Always a pleasure to have you." The thin man looked from Bane to Harley, and then asked, "Are you two here for a particular reason? The longer this visit lasts, the more perilous our situation becomes, you see."

Bane nodded. "Yes, yes, we are aware, Jonathan. Miss Quinn and I are here to propose an alliance of sorts to you."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "And why would I want an alliance? I have found that working on one's own in these times makes it much easier to avoid unwanted attention."

Harley leaned on the counter, her head in her hands, and she grinned. "We want you to help us find Batman!"

The Scarecrow was not one to rush head-long into harebrained schemes. He enjoyed taking his time and planning out every minute detail of his plans. It was beneficial to his own peace of mind when he knew every aspect and variable of the mission.

So it was not surprising that he was very skeptical of this half-formed idea that Bane and Harley laid before him.

"Don't be mistaken, I want things in Gotham City to return to normal as much as everyone else does. But this plan, it's just _bizarre_."

Harley pouted and pointed a finger at the professor. "Well, so are _you_, Scary."

Jonathan ignored the comment. "I'll skip my objections to the main parts of this plot, because we all know how utterly ridiculous Batman allying himself with his life-long foes is. But you are also suggesting that we gather our fellow rogues together in an attempt to help him speed this plan that may or may not actually be his along. You want us to endanger our safety in solitude for a plan that falls apart just by _discussing_ it."

Bane opened his mouth to counter, but Harley beat him to it. She stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Jonathan, you're in denial if you think that sitting in this dingy shop constantly fearing the PM walking the streets outside is a better plan than actually fighting back. Because living in fear _isn't_ freedom; you of all people should know that. You're just as much a prisoner in here as you would be if you were locked up in Arkham with our friends right now."

Harley grabbed one of Jonathan's hands and held it between her own. She looked him in the eye and whispered, "Now please, don't tell me _the Scarecrow_ is _afraid_ of a little danger?"

Jonathan Crane remained silent for a few moments, and just looked at Harley's determined face. She didn't know half of what was really happening, or what she was getting herself into, but she didn't care. She wasn't afraid.

And neither was the Scarecrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Bane looked over his two accomplices warily. Harleen was dressed in a long green skirt and a tucked in, white blouse, with her blonde hair cascading down to her shoulders and sunglasses firmly planted over her blue eyes. Jonathan was sporting a yellow polo shirt and blue jeans, and was looking rather uncomfortable out of his usual attire. His unruly red hair had been partially tamed after twenty minutes of Harley's determined assault on it with a comb and brush. The poor professor had practically drowned since she kept his head under the faucet for so long. Crane's social awkwardness was countered by Harley's confidence, however, and the pair looked about as normal as was possible.

Bane still wasn't convinced he should leave them alone. They were like children who needed constant attention, and could get in serious trouble should he ever turn his back. The large man sighed and tried to find confidence in them. After all, neither had managed to get captured thus-far. Why should they start slipping up now?

Finally, Bane looked about the sidewalk to make sure there was no one approaching. "We are clear on our duties for today?" he murmured.

Harley and Jonathan both quickly nodded their heads. Their job was simple enough; snoop around and collect any information relevant to the Batman's whereabouts, Anthony Christenson's plans, or the hiding places of the few rogues besides themselves still lucky enough to be prowling the streets.

Bane tilted his head in a way of saying farewell, and then moved away from them to begin his solo mission for the day.

Harley smiled and waved at Bane as he turned away from them. "Good luck finding Oracle, Bane!" she called, cheerily.

Jonathan shoved his bony elbow sharply into her ribs. "Not so loud, Harleen!" he hissed. His eyes flicked up to Bane's retreating form. "Besides, Bane doesn't _need_ any luck. He knows what he's doing."

After watching the large man disappear around a street corner, the unlikely pair began to walk nonchalantly with the crowd, keeping eyes and ears open for anything that could be useful.

A fearsome roar ripped through Killer Croc's throat as he was shot with yet another tranquilizer dart. That made the third successful hit this patrol of PM had gotten on him. He darted down another alley, taking extra care to avoid getting hit with any more sedative. His vision was beginning to blur, and his finger tips were going numb. Croc stumbled and caught himself on one of the surrounding brick walls.

_Surrounding_?

Whirling around, Croc realized that he was at a dead-end. He heard the patrol cutting off the way he came. Killer Croc shook his scaly head a little to try and clear the fog that was threatening to blind him.

Then a haughty voice drifted through the alley, and hit the fugitive like a ton of bricks.

"Give up, lizard-breath. You've got no chance."

Claws and teeth barred, Croc dove at the nearest officer in an animalistic frenzy. He slashed at the man's chest, leaving behind a tattered shirt and four deep gashes that ran the length of his torso. Croc leaped at another and took a bite out of his shoulder while swiping at a second's face - taking most of it off. He whipped around and knocked two flat in the chest with his tail, pushing them to the dirt. Croc turned and fiercely kicked another one against a wall, knocking his head hard against the bricks and sending him into unconsciousness.

Croc felt another sting in his back and growled irritably – they got another dart in. He turned to deal more punishment to the remaining officers, but his legs buckled beneath him and he hit the ground hard. His mind was swimming, his vision disoriented, and he only vaguely noticed the two officers turning him over and cuffing him.

He heard one say, "Never should have left the sewers, reptile."

He growled, but couldn't seem to form the retorts in his mouth. Croc blinked fiercely, trying to clear his vision, but everything was refusing to become distinct shapes again.

Then there was a sudden, loud, snapping noise, almost like a gunshot, and the weight on his chest suddenly lightened. He looked around, and saw only one hazy shape, instead of the two that had been hovering above him.

A snobbish, well-to-do voice made its way through the fog of sedative. "Well, Waylon, it seems you haven't learned anything in the way of finesse, have you?"

Croc growled low in irritation. Of all the people to be saved by, did it have to be one of the most _obnoxious_?

Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot poked his umbrella against Killer Croc's chest testily. "Are you even listening to me, Croc? I _am_ saving your scaly hide, you know. You'd do well to _pay attention_."

The Penguin crouched down next to the bound fugitive and pushed his top hat backwards somewhat to better see.

Killer Croc's mouth opened, revealing his sharp teeth which were still covered in blood. A few gurgling noises found their way out of his throat, and Oswald sniffed in disdain. "What was that, Waylon? You're going to need to _enunciate_."

Croc growled angrily, then tried again.

"'ou gon 'elp me out 'r not?" he slurred moodily.

The Penguin smirked a little at Killer Croc's drugged state. Seeing the usually abrasive, bossy, rude, and violent Croc reduced to such a state was a sight that he was not sure he'd miss.

He cupped his chin in his hand thoughtfully while examining Croc's cuffs.

"I'm considering it-"

Oswald was cut off as an officer's night-stick collided with the back of his head. He stumbled, losing his hat and his grip on his trusty umbrella. As fast as he could, Oswald twisted around to face the PM officer that he had somehow missed. Desperately, he lunged for his umbrella, but the officer landed a hard kick to his round stomach. Oswald tried his best to defend himself, but his attempts were in vain as he continued to get the stuffing beat out of him.

Jonathan peered around the corner and winced. That PM wasn't holding anything back on the poor Penguin, that was for sure. Glancing about, he confirmed that this officer was the last in the area. Quickly, with a devilish grin on his face, Jonathan Crane reached into his bag and produced his signature mask and hat. He placed them delicately on his head, and then strode boldly into the alleyway. He grabbed the officer by his collar, and he whirled around. Before he even realized what was happening, the Scarecrow's fingertips were scratching across his face, drawing blood. The man winced at the stinging pain, and the Scarecrow grinned madly.

He had successfully injected the man with the scare toxin residue on his hands.

The officer reeled backwards, the blood rushing from his face as he screamed in terror at whatever horrific apparition he was seeing. Half-formed pleas and cries on his lips, the man made himself scarce.

Jonathan watched him run off until he was out of sight, and then he turned his attention back to Oswald. Calmly, he picked up the Penguin's precious top hat and dusted it off before approaching the bewildered man.

Oswald had definitely not been expecting the Scarecrow to appear out of the blue to rescue him. Jonathan outstretched a hand to Oswald, and he helped the tubby man to his feet. As Oswald was dusting off his suit, Jonathan placed the hat carefully back on his head of thinning hair.

"Well, Professor Crane. It's a pleasure to see you, and your assistance is quite appreciated, if not unusual for a man of your… credentials."

Scarecrow smiled through his mask at him.

"However, I can't help but wonder how long you waited before stepping in?"

"Only a few moments, Oswald. I had to make myself look presentable. After all, I was saving a man of _your_ caliber."

"Well!" Oswald huffed. "You can skip the theatrics next time, and save me a couple of whacks!" He gingerly rubbed his eye, which was quickly turning a deep purple and swelling like a balloon.

Scarecrow crossed his arms while walking over to examine Killer Croc and muttered, "At least I got your hat back."

Scarecrow waved a hand in front of Croc's face, and there was no reaction. The animal was totally out. He motioned for Penguin to join him by Waylon's side. "Try and wake our friend here, would you? I'll go gather Harley."

And just like that Jonathan was down the alley he had initially emerged from and disappeared from sight, leaving Penguin alone with the Croc.

Oswald paused for a moment and just examined the man that he had been trying to rescue, before he in turn had needed rescuing. He really hadn't gotten any more pleasant to look at since the last they met. The Penguin lifted his umbrella slowly, and then gently placed the tip onto Croc's chest. He didn't move.

Carefully, Oswald poked him again. And again. No response.

He tried quick jabs in the ribs, he tried pushing his face around with the tip, he tried tickling his stomach. Nothing worked.

Frustrated, Oswald brought the flat of his umbrella down onto Croc's stomach with a loud SNAP.

Killer Croc jolted awake with a fearsome roar, sitting up. The Penguin jumped back a few feet in surprise. Groggily, Killer Croc began to rise. He strained on his bindings, and as it was futile, he fell back onto the ground with a WHUMP.

Oswald slowly approached the monster a second time, and poked him in the head again.

"Croc?"

No response. He was out.

Oswald was about to smack him again when a loud giggle reverberated down the alley that Jonathan had disappeared down.

"Aw, lookit this! Ain't it sweet? The big bad Croc's sleepin' like a baby!" Harley giggled.

Scarecrow ignored Harley and looked at Oswald. "He can't be woken up?"

The Penguin shook his head. "Too much sedative. He'll have to sleep it out of his system."

Harley nodded decisively. "Alrighty then!" She grabbed a scaly arm and began to tug. The two men watched her for a moment, and when she realized they weren't helping, she pouted and motioned for them to join her. "We gotta get this lug out of here and to a safer location, right?" The men nodded. "Right. Now help me!" she ordered.

The two obliged each taking hold of a limb. The three rogues tugged and pulled, and eventually were able to drag him a couple streets away and into the back room of a shop. Oswald entered the shop first, and found that it was a bakery which was currently open for business. Apologizing profusely to the bakery owner, who was shouting at him to leave the shop, Oswald promptly knocked him unconscious with a quick SNAP of his umbrella. The tubby man poked his head back outside and motioned for his accomplices to join him inside the shop. The three worked quickly to secure the business. Jonathan changed the sign out front from 'open' to 'closed', and Harley turned off all the lights and checked for any other workers. She found there were two more chefs, and she quickly knocked them senseless. After their work was done, they dragged Killer Croc's dead weight into the shop and dropped him on the kitchen floor.

Harley snooped about the counters, and delicately selected a few loaves of bread. She tossed one to Oswald and Jonathan. "Eat up. Who knows how long we're gonna be here."

Munching on the warm, freshly baked loaves, the three hunkered down and waited for the fourth villain to awaken.

"Shouldn't we tell Bane what happened?" Harley asked.

"He's on his way to meet _the Oracle_, Harley. I haven't the faintest idea of where he could be. _Bane_ will just have to wait for _us_ while _we_ wait for _Croc_."

Oswald lifted an eyebrow. "Bane?"

Harley grinned. "Yup!"

The well-to-do man took a thoughtful bite of his loaf. "Well, you two certainly know how to pick your allies. Care to fill me in?"

Bane scratched the back of his head as he looked up at the clock tower. This was where the Oracle would be waiting. Not for him, of course - she had no idea he was standing right outside. She was waiting for Bruce. But she'd have to settle for Bane, and then thank him as he takes the initiative to find the Batman _for_ her.

The large man began to approach the entrance to the tower, but he noticed a PM was blocking the entrance. Bane didn't hesitate, though. He walked straight up to the officer and towered above him.

"Good day, officer," he stated.

The officer tilted his hat backward and squinted up at the master criminal. "Good day to you, sir. Can I help you?"

"I need to gain access to the clocktower. You are blocking the entrance. Is something amiss?"

The officer raised an eyebrow. "What business you got up in the tower, buddy?"

Bane shrugged casually. "I'm one of the engineers. I am supposed to be performing a maintenance check today."

"Aw, well, I guess nobody told ya, bud." The officer jerked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating the tower. "PM found one of those bat-brains holed up there. She got away before we could grab 'er, but she left behind a massive computer network. The boys're disassembling the place now."

Bane's eyes widened slightly. They had found Barbara? The officer squinted one eye as he looked closer at Bane.

"From the looks of things, she's been livin' in there for a while. If you're an engineer, how cum you never noticed 'er in there before?"

Bane shrugged. "I don't do maintenance in the actual clock tower. There's other rooms around the main room. That's what I check up on."

The man frowned. "Now, how did ya know that the stuff we found was in the _main tower room _if you hadn't known about this?"

Bane clenched his teeth. He had spoken too hastily. This development was making him careless.

The man put a hand on his gun. "Buddy, I'm going to need to ask you to—"

Bane's fist collided hard against the man's temple, and he crumpled to the ground. The criminal whirled around and took off at a run, trying to think of where Barbara could have disappeared to while trying to come up with a good escape plan for himself.

He heard shouting behind him. The other officers had seen him dispatch the guard, and they were now chasing him.

Perfect. A whole crowd to escape from. Just what he _didn't_ need.


End file.
